Bridge



May 4, 1926.

J. B. STRAUSS BRIDGE Fild Deo. 1o 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 .IllllllllllJillllllllllujll .May 4, 1926.

J. B. sTRAuss BRIDGE Filed Dec. '1o. 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I ,9a/NRJ@ $01 h l l A n w We A ind/525%! M/WLSG y' ,mf MM...

Patented May 4, 1926.

UNITED `sTATEs Josnrn B. smnAUss, or CHICAGO, `I Lnruors.l

' BRIDGE." l f Application Med December 10, 1921. Serial No. 521,305. l

To all wko'nij it may concern.'

' Be it known that I, JOSEPH B. STRAUss,

af citizen of the United States, residing'at Chicago, in the county of Cook and Statel of Illinois, have invented a certain new and usefull Improvement in Bridges, of which they following is a specification.

This invention relates to bridges, and

hasfor'its object to provide anew and -im-V proved device ofy this description. The invention-has among other objects'to provide a construction where the counterweight is supported separate from the main span and arranged so that thel supports for the connterwveightdo not interfere with its movement when' the bridge is opened and closed.v

The 'invention-'has' other objects which are more specifically `set out inv the yfollowing descriptiol'l. l

Referring now to the drawings bridge. vembodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1';

Fig. 3` Figli; f

Fig. 4:k is vasectionalvijew taken on line lf-lof Fig. v3.

- Fig. 5isv a rearelevation with parts omitted showing -the'relation ofv the counterweights' to the supports;

Fig. 6 isi a Sectional view throughthey counterweight showing the location of thel metal;counterweight` frame members. Y

' Like numerals referto like parts throughout thee several figures.

Referring now toV the drawings I havel 'showna-main spanl, pivoted at 1a.- Back of the main span 'are two supports 2, located on opposite sides of the roadway. These' supports may be of any desired structure. As herein shown they are of an-A-'fr'ameconstruction. Pivotally mounted upon these supports is a counterweight frame 3. This counterweight frame Yis connected by the con Y necting membersor links 4 with the main span. The bridge is lifted and loweredbyv l means ofthe operating structs 5 which are connected with the main span as shown,\and -which'are actuated'by actuating mechanism on thesupports2. As herein shown the is a vew taken ony 'line -B-S of` struts 5 are provided teeth which are engaged by pinion 5a connected with a suitable source of power, such as amotor located in the housing 5b. The counterweight frame has the two side truss members, and there are preferably two links 4,'and Ntwo operating struts 5 on opposite sides of the roadway. There are preferably* two counterweights vb. These counterweights are pendant counterweights,; and they may: be connected with-the counterweight frame in any desired manner. of the f counterweight frame are each vprovided with downwardly/projecting members 7, which project. 'partway into the counterweight.

The lower partof the counterweight is provided with two portionsopposed to'each other andseparated by av slotor space 8. Runningalong the sides of this space are g metal members'9 extending'upwardly, which Fig. 1 is a view showing, one form of.

are connectedwith the members 7 as shown, the members preferably overlapping. and'being riveted or otherwise fastened together.

As herein shown the sidemembers i I I prefer to make these counterwe'ights of n concrete, andthe members? and 9` are embedded therein. The counterweights are `in the plane of the supports 2, and theslots y'VVhen the counterweights have been made Y v solid ias heretofore,'it `has been necessaryto offset them with relation to the supports,l and this meansan expensive construction all lof which is avoided by the present construction. f

If the counterweights are made solid, the operating struts 5 Awill also interfere with their movement, and hence to avoid this I provide slotsor'spaces 10 in the upper end vof the counterweight into which these operating struts are received as the bridge is being opened, so that there is' no interference,

The spaces or slots 8 'and 10 are preferably offset -or out vof alignment as clearly` v 1 shown in Fig. 2. When the bridge is closed,

the parts are asshown in dottedlinesin Fig.:

1. f To open'the bridge the pinions orgearsf `5et are rotated, and these engage the teeth on A. A counterweight for bridges slotted at the struts 5 and cause the main span to be lifted, the counterweights counterbalancing it in all its various positions. As the main span is lifted the counterweights move down and the supports 2 enter the spaces 8 therein, as shown in Fig. l. The operating struts 5 enter the slots or spaces l0 during this movement. It will thus be seen that by this construction the counterweights may be placed in alignment with the supports 2, and yet part of these counterweights proj ect past these supports when the bridge is opened, without interfering with the movement of the bridgev and the counterweights. rIhis very greatly decreases the cost of the construction, and particularly the construction necessary to support and carry the counterweights.

I have shown in detail a particular construction embodying the invention, but it is of course evident that the parts may be varied in many particulars, without departconnection between ing from the spirit of the invention as embodied in the claims hereto appended, and I therefore do not limit myself to the particular construction shown.

I claim:

l. A bridge comprising a main span, separate supports back of said main span, a counterweight frame mounted on said supports, a connection between said counterweight frame and said main span, counterweights connected with the said counterweight frame, each of said counterweights having opposed parts with a space between them into which are received said supports when the bridge is moved to its open position, whereby portions of the counterweight may move past said supports without interference.

2. A bridge comprising' a pivoted main span, supports back of said main span and on opposite sides of the roadway,y a counterweight frame mounted on said supports, a said counterweight frame andv said main span, an operating strut connected with said main span, actuating mechanism mounted on said supports for actuating said operating strut to open and close the bridge, a counterweight connected with said counterweight frame, said counterweight having opposed portions separated by a space into which one of said supports is received when the bridge is open, said counterweight being also provided with opposed portions separated by a space into which said operating strut is received as the bridge is opened.

3. A counterweight for bridges slotted at its upper and lower ends, the slot at the lower end adapted to receive the supporting-member `for the counterweight, and the slot at the upper end adapted toreceive an operating strut. i

its upper and lower ends, the slot atthe lower end adapted to receive the supporting member for the counterweight, andthe slot at the upper end adapted to receive an operatprovided with slots into kwhich are received said supports when the bridge is opened.

v 6. A bridge comprising a 'pivoted'main span, separated supports back of said main span located on opposite sides ofthe roadway, a counterweight frame mounted on said supports, a connection between said counterweight frame and said main span, an operating strut connected with said main span, actuating mechanism therefor carried by said supports, two pendant counterweights connectedl with said counterweight frame and located on opposite sides fof the roadway, said counterweights provided with slots into which 'are received said supports when the bridge is opened, each of said counterweights provided with additional slots into which said operatingstruts are received. l

7. In a bridge a counterweight frame eX- terior to the counterweight and separa-te from the. bridge span and having projecting metal members, projecting at an angle from said frame, a counterweight connectedjwith said members, vthe members projectingpartway along the counterweight vwith an open space in the counterweight below the said members, two' sets of yside members connected with the counterweight below said projecting members and connectedftherewith;

8. In a-bridge a counterweight frame, eX- f terior to the counterweight and separate from the bridge span and a counterweight, a projecting member connected with the said frame and projecting at an angle from said frame and centrally partway through said counterweight, side members connected with said centralrmember and with said counterweight, said side members separated by a space below said central member.

9. A bridge comprising a pivotedfmain span, separated supports back of said'span located on opposite sides of theroadway, a counter weight frame mounted vonsaid supports, a connection betweenV 'the counter weight frame Aand the main span, two 'concrete counterweightsmne on each side-of the roadway, said counterweights having one end attached to the lower member of said counter weight frame and projecting downwardly therefrom so as to provide an open roadway space between them, means for holding said counter weights in rrigid relation to the counter weight frame in all their Various positions, each counter weight provided at its lower end with two separated parts with a space between them into which said se arated supports are received when the bric O'e is opened.

Signe State of Illinois, this 6th day of December 1921.

JOSEPH l1-2.. STRAUSS.

at Chicago, county of Cook and 10 K 

